Breakdown of Ook al is de module pittig, wij blijven gemotiveerd.
zijn
to be
wij
we
blijven
to stay
ook al
even if / even though
de module
the module
pittig
tough / demanding
gemotiveerd
motivated
Questions & Answers about Ook al is de module pittig, wij blijven gemotiveerd.
Why is it wij blijven after the comma? Doesn't the verb usually come first after a starting clause?
You have a great memory! Normally, starting a sentence with a subordinate clause triggers inversion in the main clause (verb first). However, ook al is a special exception in Dutch. After an ook al clause, the main clause ignores the first part and keeps the standard subject-verb order: wij blijven.
Does ook al also change the word order in its own part of the sentence?
Yes! Normally, linking words like 'although' push the verb to the very end of their clause. But ook al acts like the first position in the sentence, causing inversion (verb-subject) right after it. That is why we say Ook al is de module... instead of pushing is to the comma.
I thought pittig meant spicy. Can it mean 'tough' too?
Exactly! While pittig literally describes spicy food, it is very commonly used in a figurative way to mean tough, demanding, or challenging. When talking about a course, exam, or task, a Dutch speaker will almost always describe it as pittig if it requires a lot of hard work.
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